Tests building systems like HVAC, lighting, and alarms to make sure they really work.
You walk a new school with a laptop plugged into the controls, forcing fans and dampers to change and checking each responds. Then you write up what the contractor must fix.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 4 years after high school. Engineering tech degree or HVAC/controls experience; CxT or CxA certification.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: HVAC Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology.
Growing faster than average. No separate BLS projection for this specialty; rating is an estimate based on industry trends.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors and analytics flag faults, but functional testing on real equipment in new buildings stays hands-on.
Classes: Electronics CTE, Physics, HVAC CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3023.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.